Keep on Workin'

I was born in Indiana
Grew up in Kentucky
Don't know how I survived Chicago
I guess I just got lucky

My oldest brother went to war
Second one went to crime
Youngest went on welfare
And we're all doin time

I live in a factory
Eight hours every day
I risk my life
And then I die of boredom

I worked for Ford
For fifteen years
Then I got laid off
After the Vietnam War

We lost incentive
We used to be so proud
So patriotic, but now I wonder
What for

Keep on a-workin, that's what they told me
Later I found out somebody sold me
Keep on a-workin, everything'll be ok
But you know sometimes I'm a-thinkin
There's bound to be a better way

I used to go out and give some hell
To the demonstrators
I used to go out and yell
Why don't you all get a job

Then I got laid off,
Went down to the food stamp office
Now I'm a welfare bum
Myself

They were shoutin in the streets
We were rippin off the people overseas
Companies would pay a dollar a day
For what they couldn't steal

I was paid all right
Yeah, they kept me on their side
And in my pride I said "We're the best
That's how I feel"

But now they're movin the factories
Yeah, they're movin em overseas
Cause there's so much competition
And we've fallen to our knees

Must be bad over there
If it's like this over here
Now I can't even buy the things
I've made for all these years

Keep on a-workin, that's what they told me
Later I found out somebody sold me
Keep on a-workin, everything'll be ok
But you know sometimes I'm a-thinkin
There's bound to be a better way

Yeah the company hit the skids
There's been layoffs left and right
To throw away a worker
Is such a waste

I've got feelings
Hell, I've even got expenses
I think it's the company
That should be replaced

And they say I'm not tryin
That I'm not even buyin
The economy is dyin
And it's all because of me

When I was young
I learned that anyone
Can get ahead, if somebody don't make it
It's cause he didn't try

I was told I had a place assured
Looks like they told me wrong
They were wrong about it
But still they lie

Keep on a-workin, that's what they told me
Later I found out somebody sold me
Keep on a-workin, everything'll be ok
But you know sometimes I'm a-thinkin
There's bound to be a better way